Extremely high memory usage

[Celeress]

My computer has always had an occasional freeze, but for the past (almost) week I've been noticing my memory usage jump up to numbers like 98% and stay there. The computer is practically unusable at this point and what little I can do I try to close whatever programs I have open. Only problem is.. this doesn't even help.

It's growing more and more frustrating and I have no idea what's wrong. If I decide to wait the however long it takes before it lets me use the computer again, it would still feel sluggish. Restarting my computer brings it back to around 70%. (72% currently with Chrome open while I type this and League of Legends in champ select). Also something I'll just throw in there.. but my CPU right now with things normal is ~25%. When things hit the fan (not literally) it never goes above 5%.

I understand that windows likes to use every bit of RAM for something because if It's unused it's wasted or whatever.. But I just don't understand what's hogging the memory to cause something like this. I'm the only user on the computer and am the only one that uses the computer. I've recently done full scans with Norton to see if it was something I downloaded and nada, it found nothing. (Did a quick scan, full scan, and a "Norton Power Eraser").

I just don't understand why the memory usage jumps so high up and stays that high just out of nowhere. No enormous process running in the task manager, no nothing.. I don't have screenshots of it right now so when it happens again I'll post them.

In the mean time.. anyone have something like this happen before? How did you fix it?

 

[i7Baby]

Post your build including OS

 

[Celeress]

Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit
4GB of RAM
CPU: Intel Core i3-3240
GPU: GTX 650 Ti
MOBO: ASUS P8H61-M LE/CSM R2.0

 

[i7Baby]

You should get a 2 x 4gb ram kit if you're worried about ram usage.

Have a look at Task Manager as to what background processes you have running. See if there's any that you don't need. eg I got rid of Norton in favour of Avast because it used less memory.

Also look at Performance in Task Manager to see how your ram is divided up - what's allocated. Resource Monitor will also help to throw more light on where your ram is going.

 

[Celeress]

Been a while yes, I know but this still happens (On a daily basis) but just noticed something today.

I'm using 2 monitors; both VGA cables if it means anything. My main monitor (The newer one), is plugged in to my motherboard's VGA slot while my 2nd monitor (An older one) is plugged in to an adapter that's plugged in to my graphics card. Basically, I had this old monitor sitting around and wanted to use it but my computer didn't have another VGA slot for it since that's the cable it uses. Instead, I found this VGA adapter that plugs in to the DVI slots on my graphics card so I can use 2 monitors. Here's the adapter that I'm using:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00C93JQXS?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00

So I have my main monitor hooked up to my motherboards VGA and my 2nd monitor hooked up to ^ that adapter which is plugged in to my graphics card's DVI slot (Since it doesn't have a VGA slot like my motherboard).

So, with the above information, this is what struck me as odd. Yesterday my friend picked up all the parts for his new PC yesterday. While at his house and putting it together; His motherboard had no VGA slot which his monitor's cable was. The graphics card didn't have one either. I wanted to make sure everything was up and running properly so I went home to grab the adapter I linked above to let him use so his monitor's VGA cable can connect to his graphics card DVI slot.

He was going to get a proper cable the next day while I let him use my adapter so right now I only have 1 monitor hooked up. My friend's PC doesn't really have anything to do with this but that's why I'm not using my 2nd monitor right now which is when I noticed it. Usually by this time (Late evening), my computer's RAM usage is ~85% with nothing open. If I continue to use my computer the usage will go up to 95%+ like what I mentioned in the OP and then my computer will crash. What ACTUALLY happens is my nvidia display driver thingie crashes at that point and both monitors get the "no signal" thing. Sometimes it recovers, sometimes it doesn't. Usually if it does recover, I have to restart my computer because it's just not right.. and if it doesn't recover I restart my computer anyways so basically I have to restart my computer when this happens.

What struck me as odd is that it's usually that time for the above ^ to happen and my RAM usage is currently 35% with just chrome open while I type this. What also happens is, when I close something the usage actually goes down and stays down. What I tried to describe in the OP is that basically the RAM usage just keeps going up but never down. So like.. I open a game lets say, and play a bit then exit the game cause I'm done playing it. The RAM usage will stay as if I was still playing the game.. idk.. basically odd things were happening with the RAM usage where after using my computer for a few hours it basically just dies because the RAM usage is literally at like 98% and the display driver crashes and my computer restarts.

Anyways... I'm using 1 monitor right now and it SEEMS like this problem is no longer happening. It leads me to believe the issue was with the 2nd monitor and/or the adapter it was using hooked up to the graphics card... I'm not sure so that's why I'm typing this still looking for help.

Would also like to add that since I've made this thread I've added another 4 GB of RAM. What was described in the OP continued to happen, it just took longer since I guess there was more RAM for it to eat up...

 

[i7Baby]

You should get a 2 x 4gb ram kit - not 2 different sticks of ram.

 

[Celeress]

You should get a 2 x 4gb ram kit - not 2 different sticks of ram.

Maybe I'll try that but it's not the RAM usage I'm worried about, it's the fact that I sit at 96% usage and the nvidia display driver thing crashes forcing me to restart my computer and I have no idea whats causing it. I assume it's the high RAM usage because it occurs shortly after